Wallabies vs Scotland - 5 June 2012

[Lee Grant]

I was at the game and you had to be there. No you didn't: it was like being in a car wash inside a wind tunnel. Not when I got there though, just over 2 hours early. No rain; no wind. I left my Driazabone in the car, then hesitated on this little bridge and went back and got it. Hello - there was this little gust of wind - and was that a spot of rain?

It was pissing down just as I got in the stadium but I wasn't worried. The kind lady at the other end of the phone had told me that my bay was under cover. Bullshit. For up and down rain it was technically under cover, but it was blowing right into where I was, so I retreated up the stand and squatted. I read a book up there and an hour later I went down again. The wind had shifted: it was still from the south but not from the west any more. It had easted, and the poor bastards on the other side were copping it.

A slow smile spread over my dial: this is my lucky day I thought. But then the game started.


A few thoughts drifted in.

Firstly: change the colours of the Oz players to light blue and it was like watching the Tahs this year. Therefore when Scotland advanced into the Oz half at the end of the game I knew to a certainty that we would lose, and before you could say "Samoa", we had.

Oz had every chance to win being up near the Scot goal line several times and once for ages, but just like the Tahs: they couldn't seize the big moments and their opponent did.

My 2nd thought was that it was a sad confirmation that Oz teams, and not just the Wallabies, are like babes in the woods when conditions are wet and windy. [The exception is when Gerrard is playing: who can forget his Horatius type game for the Brumbies in Sydney a few years back now when he was MOTM in a losing team.]

Thirdly, I thought that it didn't matter who was injured for the Wallabies or wasn't selected for this game for whatever reason. I doubt if, in those conditions, our 22 best would have done better: we would just be criticising different players.

Fourthly - driving home - I thought that Scotland didn't play those conditions very well either. I felt like after the RWC match against Ireland: we lost to a lower ranked team that did not play all that well, except on defence.

And they seized the one moment they had to. Well done them.

PS - I needed my Driazabone for the walk back to the car.
.

 

[Chunderstruck]

It kind of doesn't feel as bad as losing to Samoa last year. Probably just because it was a bit of a nothing game i'm a bit meh.

I know it's a bit petty to get caught up on historical figures, but I have real trouble getting over these shitty losses the Wobblies manage to dish up in recent years. New Zealand have never lost to Scotland or Ireland, or Samoa for that matter. The last time they went down to the Welsh was 1953. Let alone getting done by Scotland at home!

Ridiculous weather or not, I'm going to cringe every time in future games against Scotland when the commentator says "the last time they won down under was..."

 

[Riptide]

Lee, I played a lot up in the NH and when it's pissing down freezing rain, it simply boils down to good basic skills and technique (set-pieces, catch, pass, tackle, clean-outs, line-speed, kick & chase) and attitude. Do you want it enough? Everything is simplified.

So, I tend to agree with you that different personnel may not have made the difference. These players should have been hugely motivated.

Is it the playing systems, the environment? What the hell is it? It wasn't pissing down when we lost to Samoa.

 

[Scotty]

If Genia has prosecuted the quick ball option a few times we would have won. No doubt about it. I watched the game with Jonnosan and we thought it was like Genia had to ask the Sweaties permission to pick the ball up.

"You blokes ready?"
"Aye!"
"You sure?"
"Aye"
"Ok, here we come."

I agree with this, but on some of these occasions the ball just wasn't there or forward runners weren't there. This was very similar to the Ireland game where the ref was not prepared to force tacklers to roll away and therefore we had to commit extra numbers at each breakdown to secure the ball.

Rugby will be broken if we continually let the defensive team get a leg up with officiating.

 

[gel]

Scotland played a better game than the wallabies and deserved the win. The wallabies on paper were a good side, nothing like last years Samoa game. The wallabies just couldn't crack the scots defensive line, for which the scots deserve full praise.

I'll be very interested to see how the wallabies go against wales. I am inclined to believe that the wallabies will struggle, not because the individuals are bad, but the wallabies for a couple of years lack a consistent cohesion that defines a team.

The team should be greater than the sum of its parts, but the wallabies are not that.

 

[Garry Owen]

I think I know what it feels like to be a Waratahs' fan after watching that...

I seriously stopped paying attention to the game for the last 10-15 minutes, and I couldn't have cared who won in the end...

In fact, I gave up on the delayed Ch9 feed and went online to see the result with a couple of minutes remaining just to put me out of my misery...

How long until Super Rugby kicks off again?

When I watch the crap served up tonight, maybe Channel 9 executives got it right by not showing it live to air?

On behalf of Big Jon and the coaches (because nothing will come from their mouths), apologies to the suffering supporters who braved the conditions at the game.

Twice to the Scotts in a row since when? The Dingo WB's are setting records all over the place.

 

[Garry Owen]

The only good thing about Australia losing to lower ranked sides is that GAGR appears to gain more pissed off anti-Deans posters!

I am printing up 'club membership cards' as fast as possible.

But still, some supporters can take more punishment than a paddock basher.

 

[RedsHappy]

I was at the game and you had to be there. No you didn't: it was like being in a car wash inside a wind tunnel. ....My 2nd thought was that it was a sad confirmation that Oz teams, and not just the Wallabies, are like babes in the woods when conditions are wet and windy.

Lee: I think that's way too easy a let out for these Wallabies, a kind of geo-tagged philosophical excuse almost, to add to the litany of them we've been served up in the past 4+ years.

Top quality international teams have to play in NH and NH-like winter conditions and often so as well in NZ. Further, can I take you back - just by way of example - to the Reds v Chiefs Hamilton 2011. Heavy rain, very cold, saturated ground. Reds that match mastered those away conditions well from minute 1 (incl FFS a total rookie in L Gill) vs an opponent perfectly acclimatised to them, Reds won convincingly. This is not an ad for the Reds, but it's a myth IMO to offer up some generic excuse for 'Oz teams' being by definition unable to plan for and execute well in cold, windy, rainy conditions.

I long for the day when we start holding million $ a year executives and coaches accountable and responsible for delivering up highly skilled and professional teams able to compete properly in all conditions, without pre-fab excuses for poor decisions and skills. Noting as well in this context that this Scotland game was NOT forced upon the ARU in any manner, they chose to permit the Scots' request and schedule the game 2-3 days after an S15 weekend, and 4 days before another important Test.

 

[redstragic]

There have been so very fuckin stupid things done in the last 8 months, the winter tour, TT announcing his role, the Scotland test timing etc etc. does JON even show up for work these days or is the office run by and intern?

I originally thought what an excellent winter of hilarity we would have watching this administration train wreck, but this morning all I feel is hurt pride.

 

[p.Tah]

I think that's one reason why i'm not too bothered by a loss.....mainly in awe that a bunch of guys are playing in these sort of conditions.

I've just read it was classified as a category 2 cyclone!

 

[Schadenfreude]

I started typing a list of guys that I realised were all injured... so maybe not as different as I first thought!

But I do think guys like AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Palu, Simmons, Robinson would have all made a big difference.

I'm trying to think when AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) last made a difference.

 

[kronic]

Oh BTW, spare a thought for Melbourne Terrace, who is currently in Scotland

 

[BarneySF]

I remember training for a colts UK tour and of course the weather in OZ was wonderful but we had to expect wet paddocks - so what did we do: TRAIN ON THE BEACH! Worked a treat. Sure it wasn't cold, but we essentially did weeks and weeks of soft-surface running and scrummaging and it was even quite blustery, so 2 out of 3 wasn't too bad. Plenty of beaches in girt by sea!

 

[Karl]

Game should never have been scheduled. JON, the Coaching staff and the ARU need to have a good hard look at themselves. I did not watch and glad now I didn't. I had a bad Samoa-esq feeling about this one and looks like I was right. Failures like this are damaging.

 

[fatprop]

There was better rugby being played in the mud and slops at Manly Oval on Saturday.

 

[RedsHappy]

Well who would you have made captain?

Pocock to me in the most obvious choice as captain. He is no John Eales or Gregan, but he is just the most obvious choice. in that he is a first choice selection, the best in his position in the world perhaps, leads by example, and is a good guy. We aren't electing a president here, just someone to chat to the ref and lead by example and rally the troops. If the other players on the field aren't pulling their weight then that's a Wallaby problem.

Genia ain't an option, he has to worry about getting his own shit together and suffers badly when there is a rush defense.

Genia is absolutely an option, he'd be my option in this case. Said so before this game and as soon as JH was injured.

I studied Genia's captaincy during a very demanding period for the Reds in most of season 2010 when Horwill was out and, along with many others, I thought he handled the Reds captaincy exceptionally well in general, and more particularly in some crucial 'coming of age' wins against major teams that year. Remember that there were many doubts about many Reds players that year, and Link was just settling in as well. And WG was green then, and had much to learn. He's a more mature man and player nowadays.

FWIW, I don't think Pocock has done as good a job with the 2012 Force even allowing for the fact that, probably, the 2012 Force does not have the overall calibre of player as did the 2010 Reds.

Finally, I don't agree with your summation of what is required of an effective Test captain, but perhaps that's best left for another thread.

 

[tragic]

I noticed both of these things too. I was sure I saw the ball on the ground at the end of the first replay but they didn't show it again

It's a bit irrelevant now but I saw the same thing. Can anyone link footage of the no try? The ball was on the ground in the first replay.....

 

[fatprop]

I agree with this, but on some of these occasions the ball just wasn't there or forward runners weren't there. This was very similar to the Ireland game where the ref was not prepared to force tacklers to roll away and therefore we had to commit extra numbers at each breakdown to secure the ball.

Rugby will be broken if we continually let the defensive team get a leg up with officiating.

The challenge was that Aus was diving off their feet as well.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

I've just read it was classified as a category 2 cyclone!

Mate of mine from the Land of the Darkness who was a long time Wellington (NZ) resident claims he doesn't know what all the fuss over the weather is about.

Claims we are all weak as p***. "Just like the old days at Athletic Park with a gentle breeze rolling in off Cook Strait and a wee bit of moisture".

If you want wet weather footy he says look up NZ v Scotland in 1974 at Eden Park on youtube. He claims that the St John's Ambulance staff that day had scuba gear on there was so much water in the in goal areas.

This match will be remembered for two things:
a. the weather
b. the post match "celebration" of 11 and 6 Scotland.

Video of that head clash will become viral across the sporting world even in places that have never heard of rugby. Still LFAO about that.

 

[daz]

It's all about the blame game now, isn't it. I'll limit myself to two brickbats.

1. JON and the ARU. This was the stupidest fucking scheduling decision I have ever seen. I made this point well before the game, for fuck's sake we all did. Stevie Wonder did. We had absolutely NOTHING to gain from this fixture. It smacked of arrogance, and we got what we deserved. I actually feel sorry for the coaches and players for being thrust into such a game. We were on a hiding to nothing, and are now right behind the 8-ball for Wales on Saturday.


.

Agree 100% with this. However, I will add that there was only one thing we really got from this game (and the single reason it was scheduled): Money.

The Wallaby squad barely had time to have their kit issued and digest the snags and chips from the first meal, let alone actually gell as a group.

I was furious at Deans and the players last night, and still am, but frankly I am most pissed at JON. We got a few extra dollars in the bank and in return you forced the Wallabies into a lose-lose position, and who knows what the run on effects will be? Happy now, you greedy fucking suit?